Resorts
Hilton Expands in Colombia
Hilton Worldwide has signed a management agreement with Fideicomiso Santa Marta Hotel to operate a new build Hilton Hotels & Resorts property in the Caribbean port city of Santa Marta, Colombia. Scheduled to open in 2017, this new Hilton Santa Marta hotel represents the company’s 14th hotel project in Colombia, including its portfolio of seven existing operating hotels and seven currently under development. Located on one of the most sought after beach sites in Santa Marta, the beachfront Hilton Santa Marta will form part of the Irotama mixed-use complex in the Bello Horizonte...
Azul Fives to Debut $40 million Expansion in January
Azul Hotels by Karisma has announced a $40 million expansion of the Azul Fives Hotel by Karisma in Playa del Carmen. The expansion of Azul Fives Hotel, scheduled for completion in January, will include an Essence Section featuring 64 luxuriously appointed suites and The Fives Plaza with three gourmet restaurants, two bars, a coffee shop, and a gym. “Azul Fives Hotel has become a favourite destination of visitors and our decision to expand was a direct response to an increasing demand for one-, two-, and three-bedroom suites, personalized service and unique experiences,” said...
Salute! Sandals, Mondavi Ink Wine Deal
As it continues to evolve the all-inclusive concept, Sandals Resorts announced a new partnership with Robert Mondavi wines yesterday at a special by-invitation-only luncheon in New York City. Sandals CEO Adam Stewart (pictured, on the left, with Dana Douglas Andrus of Robert Mondavi Winery) said the partnership is a five-year deal and features six varietals of wine from the California winemaker. “I don't think we could have found a better partner or product for our guests,” said Stewart at the lunch featuring cuisine off Sandals' own Discovery Dining menus, including the new...
A Present That Travels
Hotels.com is making it easier to give the gift of travel with the introduction of gift cards in Canada and the United States. Gift cards have been a consumer mainstay for decades, but shoppers seeking a travel gift card have been limited to airline-specific and hotel chain-specific selections until now. The Hotels.com Gift Card has been developed as a convenient and flexible option that's redeemable at over 100,000 hotels, chain properties, resorts, and bed and breakfast accommodations worldwide through the Hotels.com web site. Research shows that gift cards remain the most requested...
Shaking The Globe
Mark Nov. 24 on your calendar. That's when Starwood Hotels & Resorts launches its online Cyber Monday sale that will run through Dec. 7, 2014. The sale will feature discounts of up to 30% off regular room rates at more than 600 hotels and resorts throughout North and Latin America. Members of the Starwood Preferred Guest program will enjoy an additional 5% savings when booking through the Cyber Monday sale. The sale applies to stays between Nov. 24, 2014 and Feb. 1, 2015 at participating hotels and between Nov. 24, 2014 and April 15, 2015 at participating resorts. For...
New Sandals BDM for Alberta, Northwest Territories
Tanya Idzan has been appointed to the position of business development manager – Alberta & Northwest Territories. “At Sandals, we provide support to our Canadian travel agents with experienced business development managers coast to coast. Tanya is a welcome addition to our team. As a category leader and innovators, we always have new and exciting products for agents to sell,” said Maureen Barnes-Smith, director of sales and marketing, Unique Vacations Canada. With over 14 years experience in retail travel, Idzan will further Sandals’ presence in the region and work...
Quite An Experience
On a bone-chilling morning in Toronto, it was rather pleasant to learn about all of the good things going on at the Metropolitan By COMO in Miami Beach, Florida. Opened nine months ago, the 74 room and suite property -- part of the COMO Hotels and Resorts group -- is doing well, with its general manager, Javier Beneyto telling a small travel trade group in Toronto this week, that it took about 13 months to completely restore the 1930s Art Deco property to its present look and feel. And Beneyto has been involved with the property since it was purchased. Bringing in the GM at the...
DoubleTree by Hilton Debuts in New Zealand
DoubleTree by Hilton and Hilton Worldwide have opened the brand’s first property in New Zealand – DoubleTree by Hilton Queenstown. Formerly known as the Kawarau Hotel and managed by Hilton Worldwide, the 98-room hotel is set in the heart of bustling Kawarau Village, convenient to Queenstown International Airport and just a short drive or water taxi ride from the centre of Queenstown, popularly known as “The Adventure Capital of the World.” Guests at DoubleTree by Hilton Queenstown enjoy contemporary guest rooms featuring fully fitted kitchenettes with an oven, microwave and...